1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing frame and a method for delimiting a surface of a component which is to be covered with a molding compound.
2. Description of Related Art
To protect components from external environmental influences or influences of media, it is customary to cover the component with a molding compound. As the molding compound, it is usual here to employ epoxy low-pressure molding materials, which are applied to a surface of the component that is to be protected.
In particular in the case of electrical components, for example of electronic functional elements such as semiconductor elements and chips, increasingly higher demands are being made in regard to their temperature resistance, media resistance, performance improvement and reliability, in particular in safety-relevant applications. As a result of covering them with the molding compound, media from the environment are not able to come into contact with the components and cannot damage them.
To seal electronic components using punched grids without leaving burrs, at the present time encircling punched grid connections are used, but these must be punched out in a complicated process after the epoxy low-pressure molding material is applied. This may cause damage to the low-pressure molding compound cover.
Abrasion of the molding compounds on the tool edges is unable to prevent formation of burrs during the manufacturing process. This may result in contamination in subsequent process steps, however. To avoid formation of burrs, a frame that is firmly connected to the molding compound and encloses the component has been used. But this increases the construction space required for the component. In addition, a new frame must be manufactured for every component.